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Hajj 2023: Pilgrims mark Eid al-Adha in Mecca’s Grand Mosque
Pilgrims marked Eid al-Adha at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Wednesday, engaging in fervent prayers and sermons to commemorate the occasion.
The pilgrims performed the Tawaf al-Ifadah – known as the visiting circumambulation – which takes place after the Day of Arafat.
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Early on Wednesday, more than 1.8 million Muslims made their way to the Jamarat area where they took part in the stoning of the devil ritual.
Thousands of pilgrims arrive at the Jamaraat #Hajj1444 pic.twitter.com/9qPH1jYWnU
— 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@HaramainInfo) June 28, 2023
As part of the ritual, pilgrims throw pebbles at three large pillars that mark the places where the devil tried to interrupt Ibrahim’s sacrifice.
On Tuesday, the pilgrims gathered on the plains of Arafat on the most significant day of the Hajj pilgrimage.
Under the scorching sun, they offered their prayers and supplications.
They then made their way to Muzdalifah to collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual.
Pilgrims pray on Mount Arafat in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
The annual Hajj pilgrimage saw 1,845,045 pilgrims take part in the Islamic ritual this year, including 1,660,915 who came from outside the Kingdom and 184,130 citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia.
Hajj is mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford it.
Read more:
Hajj pilgrims take part in ‘stoning of the devil’ ritual
Hajj 2023: Heartwarming photos show pilgrims praying on Mount Arafat
Hajj 2023: Why is the Day of Arafat the pinnacle of the pilgrimage to Mecca?